Which makes me wonder, what would be the age that fans start considering whether the drivers are too old for it or not? with age it is assumed that the drivers lose a bit of speed, mental ability and reflexes.

In football that is 33, at that age it is normally questionable whether the player is still up for it or not and normally change their playing style to suite their abilities (like Giggs and Scholes at Man Utd).

so what is it for F1? Mark is 36, Kimi 33, Jenson nearly 33 as well, Alonso 31 and Massa 31.

How long should they have left at the top end of Motorsport?

hmm not sure, probably depends on their conditioning over a long period of time, but the car is the biggest factor. You could potentially have a driver who reactions are already slower than his competitors around him but the car is a clear .5 seconds ahead of all others so he qualifies on the front row and then drives off into the distance. Its only in the moments of close qualifying/ overtaking when the cars are similar in pace that the tiny differences in reaction speed could make a difference.

I too remember when Williams had a sort of race off between Button and another driver to determine who would get the second Williams seat (can't remember who the other driver was), and was pleased it was him that got the seat....I think it was because I liked the name of Jenson coming into F1...strange

_________________Hard Work Never Killed Anyone, But Why Take The Risk ?

I too remember when Williams had a sort of race off between Button and another driver to determine who would get the second Williams seat (can't remember who the other driver was), and was pleased it was him that got the seat....I think it was because I liked the name of Jenson coming into F1...strange

I was only young but i remember the senna prost days in my formative spectating years and Schumacher entering, it always seemed strange Rubens being most experienced because he was always in the background as such as Schumacher was the figure head of Ferrari, seeing jenson now as the same thing doesn't seem that strange but the gulf of people with 5+ years experience is a bit scary for the sport because of the new guys not many in my view stand out as potential WDC's. But i guess we had it before in the early 2000's so the next superstar will be just round the corner

Oh my gosh, that's a wake up call. I still consider Rosberg just a pup, Vettel a newbie and Kovi a relative newcomer. I'm still mentally in the era of Trulli, Fisi et al.

Nice that the Rosberg and Senna names are still around. I kind of hope Rosberg gets a top drive - at least enough to challenge for Wdc, just cos I think that would be fun (still the only WDC son of a WDC to date is Damon Hill)

I am enjoying seeing some of the new guys though - I think Hulkenberg and possibly Perez this year will turn into long term drivers, assuming Perez doesn't wind up disappointing like Kovi at McLaren. Hamilton and Kubica then Vettel in 07 and 08 were I think the last real injections of top level talent, and at a pinch, maaaaybe Rosberg in 06 before that, then it's all the way back to 2001 for Kimi, Alonso and JPM.

So genuinely top level drivers do not come along all that often. But we're due for a new batch!

Button the most experienced driver on the grid... now that makes me feel old, and I'm only 25!!! I still remember him coming in and thinking "playboy sh*tebag..." and writing off any hope of him winning a world title, only to eat my words haha. Looks like he's got a good amount of years left in him as well, for some reason i can see him getting up towards Rubens' race starts record. Keep it up Jense!

I remember thinking WTF are williams playing at taking on someone with such little experience. They're a big team they don't take on total rookies.

Then during the whole playboy era, contract disputes and when his then bird was on Fame academy. What a nincompooper.

Tongue in cheek?

Rookies - Hill, VilleneuveBig Team - They had slid from 1st to 4th in the constructors race. IMO

Button the most experienced driver on the grid... now that makes me feel old, and I'm only 25!!! I still remember him coming in and thinking "playboy sh*tebag..." and writing off any hope of him winning a world title, only to eat my words haha. Looks like he's got a good amount of years left in him as well, for some reason i can see him getting up towards Rubens' race starts record. Keep it up Jense!

I remember thinking WTF are williams playing at taking on someone with such little experience. They're a big team they don't take on total rookies.

Then during the whole playboy era, contract disputes and when his then bird was on Fame academy. What a nincompooper.

Tongue in cheek?

Rookies - Hill, VilleneuveBig Team - They had slid from 1st to 4th in the constructors race. IMO

Also Montoya. Zanardi was virtually a rookie and Coulthard was in 1994 as well.

Button the most experienced driver on the grid... now that makes me feel old, and I'm only 25!!! I still remember him coming in and thinking "playboy sh*tebag..." and writing off any hope of him winning a world title, only to eat my words haha. Looks like he's got a good amount of years left in him as well, for some reason i can see him getting up towards Rubens' race starts record. Keep it up Jense!

I remember thinking WTF are williams playing at taking on someone with such little experience. They're a big team they don't take on total rookies.

Then during the whole playboy era, contract disputes and when his then bird was on Fame academy. What a nincompooper.

Tongue in cheek?

Rookies - Hill, VilleneuveBig Team - They had slid from 1st to 4th in the constructors race. IMO

They took on Hill whilst they had Prost and he had more miles in the car than probably anyone plus had already raced in F1 , JV was Cart champion. As Was JPM and AZ. I don't think you could call CART champions back then Rookies.

I remember thinking WTF are williams playing at taking on someone with such little experience. They're a big team they don't take on total rookies.

Then during the whole playboy era, contract disputes and when his then bird was on Fame academy. What a nincompooper.

Tongue in cheek?

Rookies - Hill, VilleneuveBig Team - They had slid from 1st to 4th in the constructors race. IMO

They took on Hill whilst they had Prost and he had more miles in the car than probably anyone plus had already raced in F1 , JV was Cart champion. As Was JPM and AZ. I don't think you could call CART champions back then Rookies.